The Book, Cat, & Cat Book Lovers Almanac

of historical trivia regarding books, cats, and other animals. Actually this blog has evolved so that it is described better as a blog about cats in history and culture. And we take as a theme the advice of Aldous Huxley: If you want to be a writer, get some cats. Don't forget to see the archived articles linked at the bottom of the page.

February 18, 2016

February 18, 1889

Gerhard Marcks (February 18, 1889 to November 13, 1981) was a German sculptor; he used other media, like woodcuts also. The Germans removed him from his teaching post in 1933 and in 1937 prevented him from any exhibitions of his work. According to a Bauhaus historyMarcks in "1939, ....built his own studio building in Berlin, which together with a large portion of his early work was destroyed in an air raid in 1943.This pioneering Bauhaus artist flourished after the war ended. Encyclopedia Britannica includes details of his post war life:

Marcks is also noted for his sculptures of animals done after World War II, which owe much to the influence of the German sculptor August Gaul. Marcks’s important commissions include war memorials in Cologne and Hamburg. In 1971 the Gerhard Marcks Museum in Bremen was founded. His bronze doors for the convent church at Magdeburg, Germany, were unveiled in 1977.

Cats actually were among the first subjects of his art. This woodcut dates from 1921, and is one of MOMA's 61 pieces of his art.

There is something supremely feline in the way the artist weaves rhythmic cat movement with button like human details. Gerhardt Marcks is unique and a wonderful artist. He did lots of cats.